"Gone?" said Frodo. "I don't understand." They all looked to Elrond, whose elegant face was drawn and tight.
"My daughter had traveled to Lorien to be with her mother's people, as is custom in our land. When she did not return, Elladan and Elrohir rode toward Lorien to search for her and found her traveling party dead, though they bore no wounds or marks. Arwen was gone." He bowed his head, heavy with grief.
"Not long after they left, a man arrived in Rivendell," Aragorn began. "He was a woodsmen from these parts. He told me of having been out hunting and coming across a Gondorian messenger being attacked by a black wolf. The animal was very large, but when it turned its head, it had blue eyes. The wolf fled at the sight of twenty hunters, but the messenger was mortally wounded. The woodsman tried to help the messenger, but his wounds were too deep. He spoke only three words. 'Gondor. Trouble. King." Legolas frowned at this and the others looked at each other in alarm.
"Do you think they're connected?" Merry asked. Aragorn glanced at Elrond, then answered.
"Short black hairs were found on the clothing of the slain Elves. But how could an animal kill without biting, without blood? How could a single wolf slay twenty Elves?" Aragorn shook his head. "I do not know, but we ride to Minas Tirith to see what sense they might make of this. From there I will send out my search party." His voice was rough, but decisive.
"Then we shall come, too," said Merry. "Many are the times you have come to our aid. Now it is we who will aid you in your search." Pippin, Frodo and Sam added their support. In surprise, Aragorn smiled at their loyalty, then stopped short as he glimpsed Miranda.
"You did not return?" She looked down and then shook her head.
"The stone circle was destroyed," she said.
"Destroyed?" Aragorn looked to Legolas for an explanation.
"We came upon bodies, my lord. Human and Orc. They destroyed the circle, pushed the stones over the cliff."
"Orcs?" said Elrohir. "That cannot be. The Orcs retreated eastward after the defeat of Sauron. There haven't been any sightings in over a year."
"Well then, they got a bunch of men to dress up in hideous Orc-suits and killed them all over the clearing," Miranda said, angrily. Elrohir stiffened and opened his mouth to speak, when Aragorn laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Please. This does not help our cause. I know not what devilry is at work here, but we have no time for arguments." His tired, haggard face softened Miranda. She held her tongue, knowing there was little she could do to help. Aragorn turned to Legolas.
"Legolas, will you ride with me? I do not know what ails the White City, but I may need help from those I trust." Legolas grasped Aragorn's shoulder.
"You know you needn't ask." They looked at one another for a moment, then Aragorn smiled slightly and grasped Legolas's hand briefly with his own.
"What aboot us, then?" Pippin asked, hopefully. Merry stood a bit straighter as Aragorn looked to them.
"I cannot ask-"
"-us to leave our friend in his time of need? No, of course not! We shall happily accompany you," Merry said, fighting to keep a straight face. Again, a faint smile drifted across Aragorn's face as he turned to Sam and Frodo. Before he could speak, however, Frodo surprised everyone by saying,
"We, too, shall come. You saved our lives many times, my king, and I would return the favor."
"You saved the world, Master Hobbit. I would wager that pays your chit in full," Aragorn said softly. Frodo smiled.
"You have Gollum and Sam to thank for that. I-" Frodo stopped abruptly as Aragorn drew in breath sharply, reaching for his sword. The Elves drew weapons and were on their guard, watching the woods to the west. The sudden silence was broken as a large stone flew from a tree, knocking one of the Rivendell Elves from his horse. Just as suddenly, great, dark creatures fell upon them from the trees above, teeth biting and claws scratching.
"Orcs!" Miranda wasn't sure who yelled, but her heart was in her mouth and she found herself turning and running away blindly, Frodo at her side. From the relative safety of a hiding place, Miranda, Sam and Frodo peered through branches at a skirmish not ten feet before them. A small band of Orcs, twenty at the most, were viciously slashing and snarling, while Aragorn and the rest fought back. The Orcs were beasts, huge to her eyes, and grotesque, but strangely unreal. It felt as though she were watching a film. Her heart slowed and she felt little fear until her eyes fell on Legolas. He fought on the side nearest her, and was about to run the Orc through, when a second came up behind him, grasping Legolas bodily around the abdomen, teeth bared to bite. Without considering her lack of weapon, Miranda grabbed the first heavy branch she saw and stepped out her hiding place.
'What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?` she shouted, clubbing the Orc across the back of its head. It grunted and turned in surprise, growling low, and advanced on her.
`Ah, Christ. Bad move. Really bad move.` Miranda began backing up, tightening her grasp on the branch, though she now realized what little protection it offered. As the Orc leapt toward her, a small brown blur knocked her bodily out of the way.
"Stupid child. Do you seek death?" Grunting, Gimli hauled himself to his feet and glared at Miranda, who shook her head hastily. "Then go hide yourself!" Without watching, he turned in a swift move, burying his axe into the belly of the Orc behind him. Needing no encouragement, Miranda ran. As the fight began to subside, the Orcs defeated, Miranda found herself wishing for a nice, modern weapon.
**Wouldn't be quite so monster-y if I had a Walther, would you? One little pop, and you'd be gone,** she sneered. The sneer faded as she remembered she didn't have a pistol. She had no weapons and wouldn't know what to do with them if she had them.
Miranda frowned, as she realized with clarity how dependent she was in this world. It was a frightening thought. When it seemed safe to come out, she crept out with Sam and Frodo. The Elves were gathered around one who lay still.
"He will need a day's time for recovery. Is there no place where we might rest the night in safety?" Elrohir looked to Aragorn, who knew these lands well.
"There are only human villages between here and Minas Tirith." Aragorn looked to Elrond who shrugged slightly. "Then I would suggest we make for Helm's Deep. We may rest there in safety tonight, allow the horses and the Hobbits a rest." Pippin glared at Aragorn in indignation at having been compared to a horse, but remained silent at a well-timed elbowing from Merry.
The ride to the hold was short and silent, as all kept a vigilant watch against another attack. As they reached the Deeping Wall, trumpets called out a warning. The gates were barred as the group approached, and soldiers called down from the parapets.
"Who are you and what do you seek here?"
Aragorn stood in his stirrups and threw back his hood, revealing his face. The soldier gasped in surprise, then called out, "It is Lord Aragorn! Open the gates!"
A few hours later, everyone was gathered in the main hall. It was mostly empty; only a few soldiers remained to guard the keep. As they ate, Aragorn told them more of what they knew of Arwen's disappearance, but it was little. Miranda, sitting between Sam and Legolas, listened as Gimli told of how he came to the clearing just in time to save Miranda from the Orc.
"They left without me." Gimli's rumbling voice was filled with incredulity. "They left whilst I still slumbered!" In spite of the weight of his worries, Aragorn smiled.
"Perhaps you merely could not hear over the cacophony of your snores," Legolas teased.
"Hmph. Continue in this impertinent manner and you shan't hear the reason I have ridden after you- ridden quite bravely and with danger assailing me every step that wretched pony took!" Gimli downed his pint and glared at Legolas, who tried valiantly to hide his smile.
"Please continue, O wise Master Dwarf! I assure you we wait with baited breath." Legolas caught Miranda's glance and winked at her. Gimli guffawed, then paused as the smile faded from his face.
"My news is not fortunate. Less than a day after Lord Elrond and his company left Rivendell, a white horse appeared. A riderless, powerful horse which I have glimpsed only once before."
"Shadowfax." Aragorn did not need Gimli to confirm his thought. "Did he have news of Gandalf, then?" Miranda blinked in surprise.
**Horses can talk?**
Gimli frowned. "He gave me....impressions.... Gandalf, a dark cave, a wall, a black wolf-" A sharp intake of breath from his entire audience caused Gimli to stop short. "What?"
As the Gimli and the others began discussing the meaning of this, Miranda's attention wandered and she caught sight of Sam. His neck was bent at a most uncomfortable-looking angle, eyes shut fast. Pippin leaned against his shoulder, snoring gently, while Frodo gazed out the window, smoking his pipe thoughtfully.
For a moment, in spite of her fear and intense disappointment, she felt a surge of love. These funny little creatures whose legs could scarcely span the width of a pony had braved the forest (which she now imagined filled with all sorts of frightful things) alone to bring her Maggie. She smiled at them and rubbed Maggie's soft ears.
Legolas leaned back from the table. Though Aragorn and the other Elves picked apart every detail of the known information, he felt it a useless act. They had few leads, other than something was in the south. Their time could be better spent traveling south. To his side, he noticed Miranda nodding off. Signaling his intent to Elrond, he nudged Miranda gently.
"Wha?" Her voice was groggy. He pointed at the Hobbits.
"I think it's time I take you all to your bedchamber." Miranda nodded, but thought,
**I'd rather you just took me to bed.**
Their 'bedchamber' consisted of a drafty room with rough mattresses on the floor. The Hobbits pulled out their blankets and were snoring within five minutes. Miranda was now inexplicably awake. Wrapping a blanket round her shoulders, she slipped out into the corridor and stopped abruptly at the sight of Legolas sitting in the window across the hall. He appeared to be staring off into space, but his head swung around to her immediately. It seemed a bit spooky in the moonlight, until he spoke.
"You cannot sleep?" She shook her head, and he motioned to the ample space left on the window ledge. She looked out into the night sky, expecting to see stars, but saw only the moon. It shined down onto the field below, turning it an eery silver.
"Are you well, Miranda?" He looked at her intently. She shivered slightly, enjoying the way her name slipped so easily off his tongue, then shrugged wryly.
"You mean after my only way home was destroyed, I was brutally attacked by vicious beasts and am now heading off into parts unknown in search of a mysterious black wolf? I feel absolutely brilliant, thanks." He nodded, then returned his gaze to the sky. She sighed.
**This is supposed to be a nice, romantic moment...** He turned back to her, and had such a serious look upon his face that she hoped the mood had struck him finally.
"The last time I looked out this window, ten thousand Uruk-hai (especially frightening Orcs) were descending upon us."
**Talk about your mood killers,** she thought, then listened in amazement as Legolas told her of the last battle at Helm's Deep.
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A/N Thanks for all the reviews